Royland Reyne
Royland ‘Roy’ Reyne is the current Lord of Castamere and head of House Reyne. He serves his lifelong friend King Tyrion V Lannister as the Lord Justice of the Rock. Born a second son, he inherited the lordship following the deaths of his father and elder brother in an Ironborn ambush near Fair Isle. He has sworn to enact vengeance upon House Greyjoy for the murder of his kin and theft of his family’s ancestral Valyrian Steel Sword, Red Rain. Appearance A tall man, standing at 6’1 high, with an athletic build Royland looks every bit the warrior he is known to be. A mop of auburn hair sits atop his head, though it is often well tamed, and he keeps a short but stylish beard. His ice blue eyes are a stark contrast to his fiery hair. History Born at the turn of 267 AA, Royland and his twin sister Alysanne were the second and third born children of Ser Roger Reyne - the heir to Castamere - and Lady Jeyne Farman. By age 4 his great-grandfather, Lord Lyonel Reyne, has passed from the world and his father had inherited the lordship. A second son, Royland was given less notice than his older brother - Robin - and allowed more flexibility in his upbringing. This freedom turned the young Reyne into an adventurous child, keen to roam the halls and hills of Castamere from an early age. He also showed a natural affinity on the training yards, consistently outperforming Robin despite an age disadvantage. The Reyne brothers were the bitterest of rivals on the yard and, when Royland was sent away to squire for another Lord, his brother did not see him off. Originally it was intended Royland would squire for Lord Marbrand, who held a small tourney in honour of the visiting Reyne family, however, this changed when Lord Roger was propositioned by the heir to the Rock during the festivities. Prince Tyrion Lannister, freshly knighted after a dominating display in the Squire’s melee, now required a squire of his own. Lord Marbrand was swiftly placated with a counter offer, and Royland was left in Tyrion’s care. Tyrion Lannister was a giant of a Prince, standing a foot taller than most men ever would, and with a physique to match. Under his unorthodox tutelage, Roy became an impressive warrior in his own right. Developing from the talented youth into a formidable young man. They toured the Westerlands together, and then most of the rest of Westeros too. When Tyrion announced that he wished to tour the Free Cities, he also announced that he wouldn’t take a boy with him. Desperate not to be left behind, Royland set out to prove himself. At the Tourney of Fairmarket, he entered the lists as a mystery knight, unhorsing Lord Roote in the final tilt he collected a champion’s purse before unveiling himself and donating the money to the smallfolk. He made his first step on his way to Making the Eight that night, a feat he would eventually achieve, though Lord Roote was rather displeased with losing both the joust and his daughter’s Maidenhead on the same day. Impressed with Roy’s victories, and thoroughly amused, Tyrion knighted him and the pair continued on the journey to Essos as brothers-in-arms rather than squire and mentor. In Volantis Roy aided in the recovery of Brightroar, the long-lost blade of the Lannisters, and later stood in Tyrion’s vast shadow when the Lords of the West sang their praises for the heroic deed. The survivors of the experience partied for a week straight in the taverns of Lannisport. So great was the celebration that different nobles arrived each night to party and eat and drink to their heart’s content with the triumphant Lion and his companions. When he finally returned home to Castamere, after a decade spent travelling, he was met with mixed responses. His mother and Alysanne - along with his youngest sister Cassanna - welcomed him back with open arms, but his father conveyed only disappointment. He had sent his son out to become a fine and chivalrous knight, that had yet to happen. Robin too remained hostile, clearly intent on resuming the rivalry and competition from when they were children despite Roy’s lack of interest in the petty matter. His own home felt foreign to him, and Roy soon found himself more frequently attending court at the Rock with Tyrion to avoid the frowns and scowls of his family. He learned more of rulership and economy from the Lannisters than he had ever done elsewhere, though he took to it much slower than swordplay and found it much duller. He and Tyrion would often spend days at a time in Lannisport, amongst the common folk, where Roy would often play the harp and sing for any within earshot whilst the Prince bonded with his people. Roy was in attendance at the Rock when news of the War of the Trident broke, and remained there when the infamous raven arrived from Riverrun pleading for the Lannister’s aid. He rode home that night, under the cover of darkness, and met with his father to rally the men of Castamere to war. Though fearful that his father might refuse the call, Roy was pleasantly surprised when Roger expressed his praise for his son’s bravery. Two thousand Reyne soldiers marched to meet with Prince Tyrion, the most notable contribution of any single Westerlander House, and Lord Roger and Roy rode together at their head. At Riverrun Roy experienced his first taste of a real battle. The Westerlander host descended upon the encamped Reachmen and forced them to beat a retreat, though the Gardener King was not so quick to turn tail and made his ambushers pay a heavy price before he withdrew. In the chaos of the battle Lord Roger and his retinue had been cut off from the main host by a stream of retreating enemies, by the time the main body of the army had broken through to his position the Lord of Castamere had been dealt a mortal wound. Roy’s father would not survive the night and, though many revelled in the great victory that they had won, he would stand vigil until first light before sending his father home to be laid to rest with his ancestors. Still smarting from the casualties suffered at Riverrun, the Westerlanders were eventually outmanoeuvred by King Gardener and trapped at the Stoney Sept by a much greater Reachman host. Some counselled Prince Tyrion to be cautious, for this was a fight they could not win, but Roy was still burning with the hatred instilled in him by his father’s death and he vowed never to yield. When his friend took the head from the Redwyne Lord sent to accept their surrender, it was Roy that first raised his fair voice in a rousing war cry. Roy lost count of the number of times that Gwayne Gardener and his men attempted to storm the town, but by some sheer stroke of luck - for no amount of skill could have saved any man from meeting his end that day - he survived the onslaught and joined Tyrion in a counterattack marked by the arrival of King Arryn and a horde of Valemen. He had suffered a dozen wounds by the time the day was done, his blade and armour both stained with the blood of friends and foes, but the Lions had snatched a victory from the jaws of certain defeat. Together with their Riverlander allies, the surviving Westermen celebrated their victory before they returned to their homeland the triumphant heroes. On that night, it was Roy who first uttered the words of the Ballad of the Stoney Sept - now a staple of many bards and singers across the Westerlands and many taverns across the rest of Westeros too. When the Westerlander host returned to Casterly Rock, eager to show off the spoils of war and further revel in their glory, they found a Kingdom in mourning instead of rejoicing. King Tyran I Lannister was dead, slain in an ambush by Ironborn under Lord Andrik Greyjoy's command, but for Roy, the worst was yet to come. His elder brother had sailed with Tyran's host and perished along with the King, furthermore, the few survivors reported that Lord Greyjoy had taken Red Rain - the Reyne's ancestral blade - as his own. In a few short moons, Roy had gone from an out of place knight to a war hero to the Lord of his family's lands. The change was a drastic one, and wholly unexpected. Where Roy had once been clueless about what future awaited him, he now faced a lifetime of rulership. It was during Tyrion's coronation festivities that Roy grew close to his King's younger sister, Princess Lyanna. With his old friend's blessing, the pair courted for over a year as Roy split his time between Castamere and the Rock. Eventually, they wed in a lavish ceremony with most of the realm in attendance and then children followed soon afterwards. First a boy, Alyn, then a girl, Joy, and now the couple has just announced that Lyanna is pregnant again. When Tyrion demanded Roy take a seat on his council, the Red Lion did not hesitate. As eager to serve as ever before, he took up the office of Lord Justice and has toured the Westerlands upholding justice in his King's name many times in his few years in the position. Recent Events Following the recent announcement of his wife's latest pregnancy, Roy rode to Casterly Rock to accompany King Tyrion to the Great Council at Harrenhal. Though the council itself ended unfavourably for the Westerlanders, who had backed Lord Tully for the Fletcher Crown, it did open up a path forward in a different direction. Following a meeting with King Gwayne XI Gardener, the Reach and the Rock agreed to strike at their mutual foe - the Ironborn. After the agreement was reached, King Tyrion named Roy as the commander of the army sent to Pyke - along with Lords Farman and Brax. The Westerlanders found Pyke to be much emptier than anticipated though, the majority of Greyjoy's forces along with their Lord were nowhere to be found. Regardless, Roy and his fellow Lords laid siege to the castle of Pyke and successfully broke a fierce resistance by the Ironborn defenders after a costly assault. Timeline 267 AA - Royland Reyne and his twin sister Alysanne are born to Roger Reyne and Jeyne Farman. 274 AA - Lord Lyonel Reyne dies, Roger Reyne becomes Lord of Castamere. 280 AA - Prince Tyrion Lannister takes Roy as a squire, and spirits him away on a tour of Westeros. 281 AA - Roy’s youngest sister, Cassanna, is born. 284 AA - Roy is knighted by Tyrion after a victory in the joust at Fairmarket. 284 - 287 AA - Roy tours Westeros and Essos with Tyrion and others. In Volantis he aids in the recovery of Brightroar. 290 AA - Roy returns home from his ventures, and takes up residence at Casterly Rock. 292 AA - Roy follows Tyrion to the Riverlands and to war. 292 AA - Roger Reyne is slain whilst lifting the siege of Riverrun, Roy assumes command of the Reyne forces in his father's stead. 292 AA - Roy fights alongside Prince Tyrion in the Battle of Stoney Sept. They are victorious despite being outnumbered by both the attacking Reachmen and Valemen, Roy composes the famous ‘Ballad of the Stoney Sept’ on the night after the battle. 292 AA - Whilst Roy is away in the Riverlands, his elder brother is slain alongside King Tyran Lannister in an Ironborn ambush where the Reyne’s ancestral weapon is also stolen. Roy becomes the Lord of Castamere. 294 AA - Roy marries Princess Lyanna Lannister. The couple soon welcome their first child, a boy named Alyn. 297 AA - Roy and Lyanna’s second child, Joy, is born. 298 AA - Roy rides to Casterly Rock to accompany his King to the Great Council. Family See House Reyne. Household Lyanna Reyne - Roy’s wife, the Lady of Castamere and a Princess of the Rock. Beloved by nobles and smallfolk alike, she is currently pregnant with a third child - much to Roy’s delight. Cassanna Reyne - Roy’s younger sister and the baby of the Reyne family. She is oft called ‘Cass’ despite her protests. Leo Reyne - The elder of Roy’s cousins and his fiercest opponent both on the training yard and in the taverns near Castamere. Matthos Reyne - Roy’s younger cousin, a bookish young man with an eye for numbers and a large dose of wanderlust. Randyll Reyne - Roy’s great-uncle and the Castellan of Castamere. Fast approaching seventy years of age but still as sharp as a man half his age, Randyll is far from done with living. He fathered a bastard with a silversmith’s daughter but never took a wife of his own. Robb Hill - Randyll’s bastard son, and a talented knight, he serves as a Captain in the Reyne household guard despite his youth. Tommen ‘Big Tom’ Tarbeck - Roy’s sworn sword, a portly man with a bellowing laugh and a talent for violence.Category:Westerlander Category:House Reyne